Late
by AV21
Summary: SG1 talks with Vala as they wait for an exceptionally tardy Daniel to make it back home. COMPLETE
1. 2 Minutes

_2 minutes_

She wasn't waiting for Daniel to come home… she wasn't. The briefing room table just happened to be a very comfortable place to sit. The fact that it offered a clear view of the Stargate and Dr. Daniel Jackson was two minutes overdue just happened to be happy coincidences.

She had found her way to the briefing room about five minutes before Daniel and SG-12 were meant to return from the library at Camelot, obviously excited for him to come home but refusing to play the part of his extremely loyal and excited puppy by waiting for him in the gateroom. So she spread his books over the table and forced herself to be studious, fully intending to translate some Ancient, or at least pretend like she had.

Mitchell waltzed into the room and planted himself squarely in front of the window overlooking the gateroom below. Vala continued to study, and Cam decided that not interrupting her vigil would be one of those things that would prevent her from making commentary the next time he paid a little too much attention when Dr. Lam left the room.

Cam like to be there whenever one of his team got back from an offworld mission sans him. That was one of those special tips General O'Neill liked to share when he made his two am calls to see how Cam was handling the crew. He never told the General that they were things that he could've picked up anyway if he read between the lines in mission reports. It was Jack's way of apologizing for not mentioning the rather precarious position (aka nonexistence) that SG-1 was in when Cam arrived, and thanking him for "getting the band back together." Though those were both facts that Jack would never admit too.

"Be waiting for them at the gate every time," was one of the first rules Jack had laid out, and it had proven to be a good one. There was something unifying about having your leader waiting for you when you got home, and he believed it gave them a reason to come back. Though he was entirely willing to admit they all really came back for reasons separate from him, he liked to think that they still expected _him_ to be there. The first few times Teal'c came in from there was a slight hint of uncertainty at Mitchell's presence, as if on some level he was still expecting O'Neill. Cam knew acceptance would come the first time Teal'c came through and met Mitchell with a nod rather than an eyebrow.

As the check-in time came and went Mitchell moved to the table and sat across from Vala, making no attempt to disguise that his focus on the Stargate. He was careful not to make any sudden movements, because Vala was watching the Stargate through him. If he fidgeted she would take it to be a sign that a chevron had engaged, or that something terrible was going on in the gateroom. It was a routine that they had perfected in the few times Jackson had been offworld without her.

They both knew she would've been fine on her own, but Mitchell felt like it was something that only he got to share with a member of SG-1, rather than something filtered through O'Neill's back channels and mission reports. They waited for Jackson together. Vala silently acknowledging that she liked having someone to wait with, and Cam indulging in one of the few moments he would've admitted that he worried his presence might break the infamous streak of indestructible that kept Daniel Jackson around.

They never spoke during these little interludes, actually they were the longest time he ever heard her in full silence mode. For a few minutes of tardiness they were simply the new kids having a moment that was their won. They weren't replacing someone in those moments, or being compared to a cherished routine that had been held with some beloved long since dead.

They fit in during those moments. Perfectly and uniquely accepted. If ever questioned Mitchell would say he was making sure Vala didn't spill something on Jackson's books, and Vala would say Mitchell was coming on to her, but the SGC knew the truth, and they understood. By this time most of them were replacements of somebody, and no one didn't understand the pain of having recognition flash through someone's eyes as they remembered that you weren't the one they were expecting.

New memories were made as the greenies took comfort from one another in their vigil for the first person to make them feel like this was home. They wanted him to still feel like this was home when they got there.


	2. 36 Minutes

_36 minutes_

Rather than grab Cam by his shirtfront and throw his increasingly infuriating tail out the control room, Sam let him pace in the limited spaces behind her chair and simply accepted that it was another occasion where Cam decided to channel Jack O'Neill.

Teal'c could vanish for days in a war zone, and she could venture off for dirty bomb nuclear testing, and Jack wouldn't bat an eye. But the moment Daniel Jackson couldn't pull himself away from a book and to his radio, Jack had a team assembled and through the gate ready to haul him back from the jaws of death. And now Cam was prepared to do the same. (Apparently jumping the gun was a prerequisite.)

She knew why the overprotection had started. After all, in the beginning Daniel had been idealistic and stupid, not quite grasping the concept that he could talk out differences with his P-90 at the ready just as well as unarmed. And she had to admit, 'the kid' had a habit of getting himself killed.

But Daniel had changed. He still got that gleam in his eye when they happened across an Ancient text, or for just a moment he forgot about their desperate need to save the galaxy when he was learning about a new culture. But along with the higher functions of his brain, the baser instincts had been given a chance to grow, and now Daniel could handle himself just as well as the rest of them. In fact, she wasn't quite sure anymore who would win if Jack and Daniel actually came to blows. Jack had the training, but he was busy depreciating behind a desk while Daniel filled in the part of ruthless soldier more and more with every passing day.

The gate to PX4-687 had always been tempermental, and Landry had known there was the possibility that they'd need to wait a while and dial the gate again and hope for a better connection. For all intents and purposes the gate was on the fringes of a dead zone, and occasionally the signal was too weak to dial home. They had all known that when Daniel walked through the gate. Cam _knew_ that.

And yet there he was, pacing back and forth through the control room, taking it as a sign that Daniel was half-Ascended somewhere all because Cam had been foolish enough to think that Daniel would be fine in the company of three SG teams.

But of course it's never that easy. Her other scientists enjoyed cracking jokes about the insensitivity of the marines, (not like the scientists had devoted any of their excess brain power to doing something selfless, aka: McKay.) They assumed that all marines were one dimensional, and Sam was more scientist than military. What they'd never notice was that Cam had been perfectly calm until he'd stormed out of the conference room, leaving Vala with her back to the window.

Cam had said something stupid and gotten himself thrown out, so for the last ten minutes he'd been her burden to carry. Deep down Cam was a traditionalist, and believed in the unspoken Air Force principle that while the husband is off doing something dangerous to save the world, it was the place of the closest friend not on a mission to sit with her and say everything would be alright.

The only problem with the plan was that Vala believed Daniel was fine, wherever he was. She'd seen him at his point of full wrath, known the power that coursed through him when he was called to arms, and like most of the SGC, believed that deep down inside he could still call down lightning if he really wanted to. However, Cam had learned about Daniel from Jack O'Neill, and had been trained to be better suited to fret over his missing brother than to simply trust that all would be well.

Vala had kicked Cam out when his paranoia got to be too much to handle, as it always did. And now he was busy getting on Sam's nerves as well. She set up the gate diagnostic program, just to be sure, and then headed up the spiral staircase, shooting Cam the "you will sit, you will stay, and if you follow me you find out why the marines don't have a nickname for me like they do for you," look.

Thus proceeded step two of the routine. Vala would take Cam for fifteen minutes, Sam would take him for ten, and then they'd regroup, during the middle of which the gate would open and Daniel would be left to babysit Mitchell as penance for his tardiness.

As usual Vala had progressed to the other side of the table, still contentedly 'translating' something, but now with a clear view of the stargate. Sam sat next to her and Vala slid over a spare cup of coffee, one out of the pot just long enough to be hot, but still capable of being gulped down with minimum scorch marks to hamper one's tasting capacity for the rest of the day. Vala had mastered the art of coffee service, and Sam wasn't sure if it was left over from her time as a waitress, or maintaining Daniel's addiction.

They'd sip for a minute, and since Vala was the one cloistered in waiting, it was Sam's turn to start. She'd always ask something about the translations and Vala would share a tidbit that held absolutely no value, other than functioning as proof she wasn't just staring at the page. Then she'd ask Sam about whatever device was currently taking up her spare time, and Sam would respond with as much technical jargon as she wanted, knowing that with Vala's Goa'uld inherited adeptness with technology she could comprehend it, and occasionally offer assistance.

Thus the conversation would continue, with both women tap dancing on the line they drew while in hearing range of any SGC personnel. Neither had had many girlfriends to chat with, especially one so close to their own age. There had been Janet, Denya… and they were pretty much it. Virtually all of their other friends had been male, making this situation slightly strange. They also had begun to notice they were quite similar, though neither would admit that to fact out loud.

They would concede that the other was brilliant, excessively stubborn, and rather beautiful in her own way. But on all other points they considered themselves perfect foils. (Sam disavowed any knowledge of her complete control over a certain General, and Vala denied any willingness to act contrary to her self interest, seeing as how that business with the healing device didn't count, they were going to kill her otherwise.)

In truth they were a little frightened at how well they fit together. At first Sam was sure that Daniel was complaining in actual displeasure at Vala's presence, but after she vanished to the Ori galaxy Sam saw the situation for what it really was. Daniel had simply spent too long dishing his emotions out in generous helpings to dying worlds and saving the galaxy that he'd forgotten how to handle a feeling that simply his own. His thoughts, his past, his friends, and his fire were all spent at the behest of the SGC.

When Vala stepped through that gate Sam's best friend just didn't know how to cope. He could give his life to save the Milky Way, and use his passion to Ascend, or stop an army before a single soul had to die.

But to feel the rumblings that could change the fate of the universe expended on behalf of one lowly little thief scared him. And so Daniel reacted in the manner he'd been so carefully taught, with sarcasm. Sam should've known. After all, Jack was the same way, and unfortunately Daniel had picked up the habit.

So Sam had helped Daniel search for her, and strove to think the best of Vala as she narrated her time in the Ori galaxy (though goodness knows the woman made it hard.) And when she beamed back into their lives in the arms of Daniel, Sam was bound and determined to believe every word that came out of her mouth. Little did she know Vala intended to do the same.

They'd been sickeningly sweet to each other for the first few days (with Daniel hauling them both to the infirmary on more than one occasion, thinking they'd been infected by something.) Then the change came.

After the incident on Vagonbrei Sam and Vala were on their way to the debriefing when they stumbled across a few of the newer marines and overheard their gossip in the hallway. They were muttering about Ackerman's demise, and how "that's just what happens to any redshirt stupid enough to tag along with SG-1." Vala had spent enough time with Teal'c to translate for herself, and in the time it took Sam to blanch at the callousness of the marine, Vala was around the corner with the special ops soldier pinned to the ground.

She whispered a few things in the marine's ear that drained the color from his shocked visage, and made adopt a hue of verdigris. Then she hoisted him to his feet by the scruff of his neck, and he padded along behind them to the briefing room. He stared at his feet as he apologized to SG-1 and scampered off with his tail between his legs without offering an explanation. Landry asked, but Sam and Vala just replied with sweet smiles, and he decided it probably wasn't in his best interest to know.

After that day the walls had come down. Vala knew more of the little details about the Sam/Jack dynamic than any person alive, and every time Daniel smiled at Vala Sam would get the rather giggly play-by-play. They'd never been so girly in their lives, and the opportunity just fueled the fire. The sisterhood of not really knowing how this was supposed to work was liberating. They got to make up their own rules as they went along, which had always worked better for the two of them anyway.

Now their banter was as friendly as ever, but utterly pointless. The words held no meaning, but the moment did. Sam knew of all those times she'd sat in that very chair waiting for Jack to venture home. She had always known that he was on the way to the gate at that very moment, held up by Daniel falling into something, and that he would be fine. But the fear was still there, it was always there.

The longer he was gone the worse her mind would behave. She'd start with all the various ways he could've landed himself in a prison, or bleeding to death in a ditch somewhere. She'd then progress to all the mechanical things that could be going wrong, that she could fix if only he'd taken her along. Then, of course, there was the ever present wondering if he'd just gone and gotten himself drunk and wasn't late for any reason other than the girl was pretty and he was buzzed.

Everything you should've said ran through you head as you stared at the inactive gate. The times you could've said something kind, or smiled the way you know made him happy. The worst was every moment when the electricity was high but you weren't brave enough to see it through. Every chance you missed, and what you'd give to have one more go of it.

Sam couldn't imagine what would go through Vala's mind. Her imagination far exceeded Sam's, and while Jack would just be captured and tortured, there was always the potential that Daniel could die and come back with no memory of those he'd left behind.

She had never wanted to beat Daniel before, but she was starting to think it was good idea. One good smack upside the head to remind him of what it felt like to be the one left behind to wait as the agonizing 'overdue' minutes ticked by.

So they sat there, drinking coffee and staring at the gate, not knowing when Daniel would roam through. But this much Sam did know, Daniel better need the infirmary when he walked through, otherwise she'd be sending him there.

Notes:

Much thanks to the people who have reviewed! Makes me feel loved! Sorry about the immense delay in posting this, but as a means to make me productive I promised myself I wouldn't write until I'd finished my PlSc paper, and after that happened my internet connection went down. So I feel like a schmuck, doubly so for not responding to reviewers, but that is a sin I intend to rectify. Thanks!


	3. 84 Minutes

_84 Minutes_

They'd held the gate open for two minutes and sixteen seconds before the wormhole collapsed from the other end. Landry had waited for the hour mark before dialing in to check on Dr. Jackson, and ordered SG-1 to suit up when there was no response. They had to wait another twenty minutes to establish a stable wormhole back to the planet, and Vala didn't waste a moment. She had suited up with the rest of SG-1 and followed Landry around to convince him she didn't have a cold and wasn't going to infect the local population.

Landry felt his agitation rise and had flashbacks to how Carolyn would attempt to manipulate him as a teenager, and he had to admit, Vala was doing a remarkable job. There were several times he was tempted to give in, but the General side of him kept beating out the protective father side. Vala knew that under no circumstances would Carolyn Lam yield to her request, so she chose to focus on him.

She started out with the rational approach. "But just think about it Sir. It's a reconnaissance mission, and the more eyes you have on the ground the better our chances of finding him." He humored her for a few minutes as she followed him around, trying to sound as rational as possible.

When he shot down that approach she moved onto the pleading child routine. That one was thwarted before it even got a chance to begin (Landry had never held with whiners.) Then came the temper tantrum. Yeah, that one didn't work either.

There was almost a poetic beauty to how perfectly she filled out every role. Her speech was articulate and rational, and she even stuck her hands into her pockets and hunched her shoulders ever so slightly as she extolled the reasons for letting her go. (Landry almost called her Dr. Jackson in his refusal.) When she pled her eyes grew huge, and her voice became fuller and just a breath higher, making her seem more innocent. And she twirled her hair between her fingertips and, though he wasn't sure how, made herself seem smaller, and for lack of a better adjective…fluffier.

She stood next to Landry in the control room as most of SG-1 prepared to disembark and refused to speak with any of them. Her sigh was deep and frustrated, just enough to remind Landry she was still there, and still objecting. He opted to ignore her complaint and simply gave SG-1 instructions to find Dr. Jackson and SGs 5, 6, and 8.

He turned to face a barrage of sarcasm from the spurned Vala, but she just kept her eyes on the gate. She stared at it long after the wormhole had closed down, the muscles in her jaw working, trying to find something playful to say. She smiled at Landry, forcing every trace of her visage to crinkle in mirth, but he could see it in her eyes. She was a brilliant actress, and would've gotten away with it if she'd avoided his gaze for just a moment more, but he caught her.

The regular glimmer and smirk were fixed in perfect position as she bounded back up the stairs to her 'translations." Landry's eyes followed her the whole way up the stairs, and his heart ached for her. This must be the first family she'd had since her own, and probably the only people who had treated her with any semblance of respect since she was first taken by the Goa'uld. The first time in goodness knows how long that her clear grey eyes were clouded over with care.

He trailed behind her up the circular stairs, once again wishing he'd spent more time doing actual fathering the first time around so he'd know what to say. She was as far away from the glass as she could get in the control room, where she could keep an eye on the Stargate, but where no one could keep one on her.

She was chewing on her thumbnail when he entered, and with a jump dropped the hand to her side, forcefully shoving it into her pocket. He leaned against the wall next to her, debating with himself what to say. He was more of an action fellow than a words fellow, which is why and Jack got along so well in the first place. He stared at his hands for a moment, then just cleared his throat and summoned up the will to speak.

"Carolyn's mother and I met while I was at The Hill." He smirked to himself and clarified, finding that the story was coming easier. "The Air Force Academy, where people go to be trained to be a part of our military. Well, at the time she was a few years younger than I was, which didn't bother either one of us, but her father, who happened to be my CO at the time, wasn't so happy about it."

"She was engaged to a fellow that he'd chosen for her, and roaming around with a boy like me wasn't exactly what he had in mind for his daughter." Vala grinned at the thought of a young Landry defying his CO, and all for a girl.

"The night we got married, she was supposed to sneak out of her house and meet me, but her father was up and in the kitchen by the back door. So she snuck out a window, which took her longer than I expected. I was sitting in my car down the street from her house, just waiting. I sat there, forcing myself to stay in the car, to not go barreling into that house after her.

"I kept wishing I could just be with her. That I could be there for the fight, rather than stuck outside wondering what I could be doing if I was there." Vala laid her head on Landry's shoulder and breathed deep. He put his arm around her shoulder and they sat in silence, staring at the stargate.

"Thanks sir…for everything."

"That's what you do for your family Vala."

She popped her head up, with grey eyes smiling at the General. "I'm beginning to understand that Sir. Abusive sarcasm, threatening annoying non-boyfriends with lemons, what could be interpreted as suicide attempts to bring everyone home, and a worldwide obsession with coffee, these seem to be the traits of your Earth families. I rather enjoy it."

The sparkle in her eyes grew to all out grin as she bounded for the door. "Care to join me in a few bowls of your earth delicacy, jell-o? We can pretend we're not fretting together."

Landry chuckled in return and accompanied her out the door. As they proceeded down the hall, with the SGC amazed at how Landry had gotten Vala back into a good mood, he paused for a brief moment and questioned, "Lemons?"

Notes: As always, thanks for the very fact that you're reading, makes me feel ever so appreciated, especially since I'm the only one still trapped at the dorm and you lovely folks are the only ones I feel like talking to. Reviews, good or bad, are always appreciated, and even if yout don't, I still feel the love.


	4. 127 Minutes

_127 Minutes _

"May I join you ValaMalDoran?"

She was seated underneath the windowpane that overlooked the gateroom, her bent legs stretching before her, and forearms resting upon her knees. It was a position of resignation that he knew from observing her time in a prison cell. She nodded her acquiescence without breaking her fervent gaze upon the empty conference table in front of her.

He tipped his head in thanks and sat beside her, preferring an 'indian style'position (as ColonelMitchell referred to it) suitable for kelnorim rather than her dejected stance.

"I wish to apologize to you ValaMalDoran, for my part in our inability to find DanielJackson. Know that DanielJackson is a formidable warrior and that we will not cease until he is returned to us." He saw some of the tension drip from her shoulders, supremely comforted by his words and the knowledge that lying simply wasn't part of his vocabulary.

Most of the SGC was amused by their relationship, particularly their standing date for Tuesday night kelnorim sessions. They thought that a woman like ValaMalDoran wouldn't possess the self-control to meditate like a Jaffa when so few of their well disciplined marines or brilliant scientists could perform the task. They failed to understand what Teal'c knew so well, that the airs ValaMalDoran assumed were to throw the SGC off their guard and leave them never quite knowing what to expect. Such was the strength of a thief. She manufactured the faults in her intellect to always have the upper hand.

Teal'c had done the same. By speaking rarely many thought him slow, but those who understood knew he was ravenous for every new piece of knowledge, and they who grasped this method were those who deserved Teal'c's attention.

It was a pattern ValaMalDoran knew well, but in reverse. She spoke loud and often, and in a manner that most of the SGC pretended to find most aggravating. However, when she told jokes they laughed, when she teased DanielJackson they were thrilled to see him banter like he had with O'Neill, and when she spoke whatever innuendo flittered into her thought they looked at her wishing they possessed the courage to speak their minds as she did.

His interest in ValaMalDoran had developed out of profound concern for DanielJackson. Teal'c did not wish to see any harm befall his friend, which seemed to be all the woman brought upon him. Teal'c's first care had been the consistent rise in DanielJackson's blood pressure, but with greater observation his occupation had transferred to a more plausible option.

DanielJackson was attracted to ValaMalDoran. The situation presented a new and nerve-wracking possibility. DanielJackson was known throughout the galaxy for his impervious morality, and yet was stricken tongue-tied by a thief.

Teal'c had long been entertained by her mannerisms, but for DanielJackson it ran deeper than simple fascination. DanielJackson still seemed surprised when he compelled people to change their lives, but never seemed shocked when ValaMalDoran agreed to do something for a noble cause. DanielJackson saw more good in her than even she believed, but she was willing to show it for what DanielJackson offered in exchange; personal changes of his own. For all DanielJackson's protests that ValaMalDoran was having no effect upon him, DanielJackson had finally found someone willing to fight back and it had inspired him. The Jaffa believed that a warrior was only as good as his most formidable opponent, and it had been quite some time since DanielJackson had been challenged.

To see her in this state of discontent was most unusual, given the rarity of the occurance he had yet to determine the most viable course of action. O'Neill would require beer, ColonelCarter would require a long motorcycle ride, DanielJackson would require someone to listen to, and ColonelMitchell would require someone to listen to him, but he was unsure as to ValaMalDoran.

He had hypothesized with ColonelCarter, and they both presumed that ValaMalDoran was past the stage of speaking. When DanielJackson ran late she would converse amiably with ColonelMitchell, then less with ColonelCarter, but never before had they been unable to retrieve DanielJackson completely.

Teal'c reached into the pocket of his BDUs and drew forth a deck of cards. Knowing her fondness for various Tau'ri games of chance he assumed the enjoyment would extend to other card games. He reached out his hand with the deck and tilted his head to request her superior shuffling skills.

She held her hand to her side, shuffling the deck where she had taken the cards so nothing could break her gaze on the legs of the conference table. Her thumb ran slowly across the side of the dog-earred deck and she stopped shuffling. Her breath seized, and she contracted as if in pain. The following breaths in and out were slow and ragged.

She brought the cards to center, wrapping her palms around them and cradling them to her chest. She slowly slid her trembling hands to her face, resting the deck end on the tip of her nose. For the first time her gaze broke and she closed her eyes, and breathed deep.

"You took these from Daniel's office."

"It is my understanding that DanielJackson has possessed these cards since his return from Abydos."

"He doesn't like it when I play with them."

"And yet you seem to know these cards well ValaMalDoran."

Her eyes remained closed, and her hands enveloped the cards. "I couldn't sleep the night after I got my memories back. We stayed up in his office playing Speed, and Go Fish, and everything else he could think of. He said that when he woke up on Vis Uban he had nothing, not even a memory to his name. The villagers clothed him, fed him, gave him a name, and new life. But none of it was his, and he knew it.

"He went to bed a few nights into his new life, and there was a deck of cards on his pillow. He didn't know what to do with them, but he kept them. He said he's always been grateful to Oma for cheating that tiny bit more. She took them from his desk and put them in his new home. He still doesn't know why, but they were something he got to keep in every life."

She reopened her eyes, pulling herself back from the blissful memory and reached her hand back to Teal'c, resting the cards on her palm, loath to wrap them in her fingers again. "You should put these back."

"How did you know these were DanielJackson's cards ValaMalDoran?"

She bit her bottom lip and whispered, "Every deck feels different, and these cards felt the same." He waited. He would not tolerate falsehood.

The whisper grew dimmer, as if she was almost too embarrassed to admit it. "They smell like him. Like sand, and sweat, and study, and honor." With Teal'c's hand not forthcoming she slammed them on the ground in frustration for admitting such a thing.

"I knew the smell Teal'c."

He pulled his back away from the wall and dealt out the cards for Speed. "We will play a game ValaMalDoran. You have often shared with DanielJackson that too much life cannot be spent behind a desk, perhaps it is time you share the same message with his cards. And perhaps they may teach him the same principle when he returns."

She lolled her head to the side and finally focused on the living. "And perhaps ValaMalDoran, when he returns, his cards will smell like you."


	5. 265 Minutes

Sorry this took forever, but I've always trouble writing Jack, so if it's weak, forgive me, I'll try to do better next time. One more chapter to go! Chapter/Epilogue really. Thanks for reading!

* * *

_265 Minutes_

She crisscrossed her knight over his pawns, leaping to the other side of the board where she exclaimed, "Chess!"

"Vala."

"What's wrong General? Didn't I do it right?" She batted her doe eyes in youthful innocence and Jack snorted in reply.

"Vala, I don't know if you've noticed this, but I'm not Daniel."

"Really Jack? I'm afraid I missed that tiny detail. But how can you blame me, all the males of your planet look so similar. I mistake Colonel Mitchell for Daniel all the time, which has led to several very interesting 'morning after' conversations."

Jack refused to flinch at the implied smear to the rather impeccable honor of Daniel and Mitchell and waited for her to fix the move.

Whatever crap the snake left in her head made her a quick study, and a better chess player than any nerd on the base (a realization that came only after she had cost them all significant amounts of their hazard pay.) She'd agreed to play thinking that the last of Daniel's best friends would be just as trusting as the rest of SG-1, but apparently she was wrong.

Trusting probably wasn't the best way to term it, but for their own reasons, the relationship worked. Teal'c respected her for surviving the Goa'uld, and for that whole affair on P8X-412 with the healing device. Sam and Daniel were generally referred to by the other offworld teams as 'the twins' (something else she picked up along with her poker winnings) and their similarities happened to extend to their belief in Vala. She wanted to help, and though she was still wary of their honorable approach to everything, she would do her best. Colonel Mitchell's regard seemed to stem from the fact that she always brought a little extra excitement to their lives.

But Jack O'Neill knew every trick before she pulled it and refused to let he win. Vala never tried to mess with Sam (Vala was daring, not stupid), only rarely with Teal'c (just to watch the marines' faces as he said something scandalous in return), and constantly with Mitchell (he got so frazzled and, on occasion, it would compel Daniel to jealousy.) Jack would fight with enough dripping sarcasm that Vala caught herself laughing at O'Neill remarks when she should've been firing back. He was insulting, demeaning, insinuated more things than her imagination could keep up with, and made Daniel blush in faster time than she ever could.

She loved him immediately.

And now they were seated on crates at a card table in the gateroom playing chess. The marines who had been on duty when Jack and Vala sat themselves down had started laughing, which led O'Neill to send them off to help clean up the commissary. This new development compelled the marines stationed there to rotate far more often than they usually did, and to dive out the gateroom doors whenever they couldn't control themselves anymore. (Between the two of them they'd taken out 17 marines).

She moved the knight back from the other side of the board into check and Jack muttered to himself, "And I thought Danny-boy was just full of crap."

"What?"

Jack slid his king back a pace to take it out of harm's way. "When he said you were good at chess."

"Ahh..."

They exchanged moves for a moment, with Vala mulling as she took a sip of the contraband beer that Jack had given her. "The other scientists must have complained to Daniel."

"Hmm?" He savored the rim of his bottle and slid the back of his hand across his mouth, giving him just long enough to release the grin he couldn't keep pent up anymore.

"About my taking all their money in chess games. They must have complained about me to him since they all operate under the dillusion that he can control me." She swung forth her Queen in aggression, taking out one of Jack's rooks.

"What would make you think that?"

"They haul him in to talk me down whenever I do anything remotely independent!"

"Vala..."

"Two days ago I couldn't sleep and so I decided to try your Tau'ri sleeping aid and get some warm milk. But silly me, every marine on your base followed me to the commissary and jumped every time I moved. When I sat down at one of the tables to drink it Daniel came flying through the door because they called him down because they thought I was going to burn the place down!"

"Vala..."

"Really, if I wanted to destroy your base I would choose something better than arson."

"Vala!"

"Yes Jack?"

He righted the pieces she'd rattled to the board when she slammed down the Queen she'd been aggressively playing for the last few moves. "How's life?"

"Fine, why?"

He picked up the Queen he'd just taken out in one of Vala's less brilliant moves. "Because I was actually going for why you think the scientists would complain about you to Daniel."

She blushed, considerably, but tried to glide past her rather public lapse in well-honed denial. "Because Daniel's never actually paid enough attention to see me play."

"Sure he has."

"Oh yeah, when?" The disbelief in her voice was perfectly toned to suit an insulted teenager, but there was a giddy anticipation in her eyes that made Jack retreat behind his bottle to smirk again. He knew he was getting far too much enjoyment out of this, but he couldn't help it. He'd caught the same hapless grin on Daniel's face more than once when they stopped by for lunch in DC, and it gave Jack a rush to see his best friend so happy.

Hank had gone off to reminisce with some of his old unit buddies that he never got to see anymore, leaving just Jack, Daniel, Teal'c, and Vala for lunch at Jack's place outside the city. When there wasn't a crowd around her, forcing her to live up to her scandalous reputation (or Daniel to his immaculate one) they were happy. She played catch with Teal'c on the back lawn while she attentively listened to Jack give a dramatic narration of his favorite Simpsons moments. All the while Daniel treated her like a friend, not the vixen he was tied to against his will.

He'd glance over Vala's shoulder at Daniel, and just smile at how entranced she had the boy, even when she wasn't trying. Daniel had come across his fair share of smitten maidens over the course of their friendship, but none of them would ever last. The one thing Sha're had brought to Daniel, that none of the others had brought, was a challenge.

One who forced him to see the world differently, to make him be better than he was before. The other girls thought he was a saint, which was a hard image to deny, but the two that counted, they saw the human Daniel. The one who spent too much time in his office and bore the weight of humanity on his shoulders.

"Just because he tries not to pay attention doesn't mean he isn't...paying it...attention."

She suppressed her smile and the thought that Jack apparently couldn't hold his beer very well while in the SGC. Or maybe he just wasn't allowed to be saying this.

"Has Carter made you read 'Pride and Prejudice' yet?"

"Teal'c did actually. He said it was a staple of your Earth culture."

Jack just stared at her for a moment and shook his head. "I shoulda figured. I guess that's one of the perks to being big and scary, no one mocks you for chick books."

"What?"

"Chick books. Same genre as chick flicks." She raised her eyebrows. "Stuff that only women understand. Movies and such that doesn't really have much of a plot, but they end happy, and Daniel's already had to explain this to you and you're getting me back for earlier." She grinner wickedly as another marine fell out the door.

"Remember that time near the beginning of the book where Elizabeth is at Bingley's house, and she and Darcy are fighting?"

"Not really Jack. I think you should re-tell the story of this 'chick book' for me."

He just glared at her, and then at the remaining marine who made the fool mistake of snorting at O'Neill's knowledge on the subject. "You know, I was going to say something nice, but now I'm just going to drink my beer and kick you around at chess."

"Oh come on Jack. I thought Daniel was the one who was supposed to pout."

Jack opened his mouth, but the retort was cut off by Walter. "General O'Neill, sir, you've got a call from Washington." Jack smiled and headed up to the nearest phone, and then into several conference calls about the status of SG-1.

Vala waited until she got the sympathetic smile from Walter, and then cleaned up the board and helped herself to the last of Jack's beer before heading back to her quarters. SG-1 was offworld seeing to the location of Daniel, but before their departure someone had summoned Jack to play babysitter. Or maybe for Vala to babysit Jack, she never was sure.

She ate some pudding, annoyed some scientists, flirted with the newer marines, some of which were green enough to flirt back (which Teal'c would inevitably find out about and make them pay for on behalf of him friend), and then turned in.

Laying on her bed was a rather loved copy of Pride & Prejudice and a sticky note that read, "It's Carter's, I swear," and a page number.

She flipped it open, still enjoying the feel of parchment between her fingers, and the crack of much turned pages and battered binding. Though not the most efficient way, there was a romance to the Tau'ri form of record keeping, and she understood why Daniel loved it so.

Upon that page there was one line highlighted so much it glowed, and with a rather masculine arrow pointed to the text should she mistake it.

"He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention."

She read it, and though she would never admit to such a thing should Jack ever ask, she giggled, sighed, and tumbled onto her bed, waiting for Darcy to come home.


	6. Home

Notes: Much thanks to all you beautiful people who review! It means the world to anyone who writes to have folks say _anything_ about it. Sorry it hasn't been a very regular updating schedule, I intend to be more dependable in the future. Thanks for all the love!

If you think the ending blows, tell me, I may write an alternate ending for those who want it to end happy rather than honest. (Though goodness knows I think Danny Boy deserves some happy.)

* * *

Of course he couldn't see fit to drop by her quarters on a night when she wasn't in fluffy bunny pajama bottoms and an oversized jacket. That would mean karma had finally forgiven her and that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon. Even worse, the jacket was his University of Chicago sweatshirt. Yeah, that would be fun to explain.

She paced in front of the door as it shook again from his pounding. "Vala, open up, I have to talk to you!" She drummed her fingers on the end of her bed before bolding stepping towards the door. She made it halfway there before turning back and plopping back down on her comforter.

She was tied up in knots, and avoiding him for most of the afternoon hadn't done much to improve her situation. He was just a boy like any other. A boy, a boy, a boy, a boy! Ugh, she sounded like a lovestruck teenager. Normally she would throw open the door and tease him about being a genius who couldn't work a stargate, but today she couldn't, she knew too much.

Daniel and the offworld teams had successfully made contact with the SGC at the four hour mark, but SG-1 still went through the gate to haul Daniel back home. On the last loner mission he was just over 24 hours late, and a few missions before that he went three whole days without contact. Cam referred to their retrieval mission as 'grounding' him, so that next time he would remember to be a good boy and check in.

She'd believed Cam's intent was solely to force Daniel out of future intellectual reveries so Cam would be able to distinguish when Daniel was or wasn't about to get killed, and get Colonel Mitchell killed in retribution. Then Jack sauntered into conference room, when he knew Daniel was coming home, and with beer in tow, that threw the punishment theory right out the window.

Jack had been brought in to get though to Daniel when no one else could, and Vala wasn't sure if that would swing in her favor or not. There was hope, and then Jack gave her the beer.

Daniel had told her that he'd only seen Jack drink a few times while on base, and each and every time preceded or followed profound amounts of emotional trauma. (Usually involving women, because getting shot at just didn't qualify as trauma anymore.)

Jack giving her the beer was a sign this conversation wasn't meant to be good. She would avoid him, that was the only solution. Under no circumstances would she see Daniel Jackson until she knew exactly what had been planned for his imminent return that Jack felt she needed to be buzzed to deal with.

That resolution fell flat on it's face the moment Daniel stepped through the gate. She hadn't meant to spy on him, she really hadn't, she just happened to be around every time SG-1 had their precursors to the Jack conversation.

After restlessly puttering around the base she eventually settled in to her quarters to wait out her overly romantic spell in a place where no one could see it. She waited until the sirens sounded in the hall announcing offworld activation and then walked over to the infirmary to meet up with him.

To be fair it wasn't so much a walk as a sprint interspersed with sauntering sections whenever she happened past observers.

Any time she caught herself meandering just a little too quickly she forced herself to stop and remind herself it had only been five hours. When she finally made it to the infirmary hallway saunter didn't do the lackadaisical pace justice.

She kneaded her hands and forced the butterflies to shut up and leave her be. The last few steps to the infirmary door were painfully slow, and she kept reciting to herself the bountiful reasons to turn back. She'd convince herself of the absolute stupidity in immediately dropping by to check on him, and how pathetically over-attached it would make her seem, and would turn around.

Then she'd feel his smile. It rippled through her and all reason went out the window. She stepped into the infirmary and stopped again at the sound of Sam's restraint. "It's not right Daniel, and you know it.

"Sam, I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

The frustration crept out the more he faked dumb. "Daniel, remember how we always tell one another the truth?"

"Always Sam? Tell me, how's Jack doing?"

"Cheap shot, and he's here by the way, waiting to have this conversation with you if you don't listen to me."

"Sam..."

"Daniel, you can't keep vanishing for days at a time. Given your track record for dying it's not exactly fair to those left behind on your little excursions." (Vala reminded herself to have to cooks make Sam something pretty for being on her side in this matter, not that she would admit to having a side.)

"Sam I've been vanishing for years and we've never had this conversation before. Are you telling me you didn't care every other time I died?"

"That's not what I'm saying and you know it. Things are different now."

"Sam, I have no idea what you're talking about, and unfortunately it seems that Dr. Lam would like to interrupt you for a few blood tests."

Sam and Carolyn shared a glare before she jammed the needle rather violently into his arm and Daniel jumped. He turned to complain, but stopped when he caught the look in Carolyn's eye and decided silence was the most favorable option.

After sneaking out of the infirmary she was bound and determined that she was going to hold out for him to visit her, and not the other way around. So she resorted to her old standby for emotional pacification, chocolate. (Namely the triple layer cake the cooks had baked her when they heard Daniel was missing, again.) Unfortunately she stumbled across stage two of the interrogation being done by Cam in the hallway outside the mess.

"Stop talking now Mitchell."

"Come on Jackson, you know what goes on around here when you go AWOL. I mean, how could you not, you pace more than she does."

She choked on her fourth piece of cake for the day and shrunk behind the corner where they couldn't see her. Teal'c had followed her out of the commissary, stopping to ask, "ValaMalDoran, are you well?" She gestured at him to be quiet and pointed around the corner all the while trying not to spill her cake and give away their position.

Teal'c nodded in understanding as the conversation continued with Daniel's stress level shooting up several points. "Mitchell, remember how I told you to stop talking!"

"I don't know if you've noticed this Jackson, but this base is populated by brilliant scientists and the best the US military has to offer. I can guarantee you they've noticed that you're not particularly friendly when she's late comin' back from offworld."

They were only a few paces away from her corner, and she had a feeling that if she got caught evesdropping on this particular conversation he'd be too embarassed to speak to her for the next month. She gave Teal'c the doe eyes and mouthed "please." To sweeten the deal she extended her hands forth with the plate of chocolate cake, and after giving her as much a smile as she ever got from the Jaffa he took a fingerfull of icing and stepped around the corner.

"ColonelMitchell, GeneralLandry is looking for you." Cam hesitated for a moment, torn between watching Teal'c take care of Daniel's denial or the call of duty, but the look on Teal'c's face compelled him to dash back down the hallway towards the command center.

"Not you too Teal'c."

"I have nothing more to say on the matter DanielJackson." He stepped around Daniel and followed Colonel Mitchell down the hall, showing his displeasure by declining to give his customary nod in goodbye.

"Teal'c," he called down the hall at the retreating frame, "I have a job to do. I brought them into this galaxy, and intend to get them out."

She heard Teal'c's footsteps cease, apparently close enough for Daniel to drop his voice to a volume more appropriate for holding this conversation in public. "You lied to the SGC about your family when you came here, and we all understood why. Teal'c, you didn't want them to die for you. I understood it then, and all the more now."

The cooks didn't ask when she walked back into the kitchen and left with the tray and a slice that consisted of the remaining half the cake. She ate too much, threw things at the happy sitcom endings on her tv, and when the singing girl on their educational channel suggested that Tau'ri soap could dissolve her attachment (something about washing him out of her hair)

She took an excessively long shower and then, in a complete lapse in judgement, donned his sweatshirt before she even realized she'd done it. She'd snuggled up to cake and the closest she would ever get to Daniel and his galaxy saving tendencies again, and then he started pounding on the door.

Now she found herself pacing and in complete disbelief that she just couldn't open the door. It didn't matter if he wanted her or not, he'd made that perfectly clear. He wanted to keep her and everyone else in the universe alive, even if it meant denying himself the chance to live.

"Vala, come on, open up!"

"No!"

The pounding intensified, she knew she shouldn't have answered. "We have to talk!" She heard the plod of exceptionally uncomfortable marines go past shouting Daniel in the hall, and his voice didn't drop. He was making a fool of himself in front of the best gossipers in the world and he didn't care.

Infernal boy. Everything about him was charming, even when he wasn't trying to he got points for sheer stubbornness.

She swung open the door and tried not to giggle at the look of shock on his face. Apparently he'd prepared his oration to be delivered through the door and never actually expected to be invited in. He went as far into the room as he could get, leaning against the far wall with the assumption that space would make this conversation easier.

"H-how are you?"

"I'm fine Daniel, how are you?" Calm, think calm and collected. You didn't hear him in the hall, he has nothing of importance to say, he's asking about a translation, not dropping by to proclaim his undying love.

"Good...good."

This wasn't going to be awkward at all was it? Such was the trouble with a person who made you feel so off kilter. They both thought they knew how the other felt, but there was still the question. Intuition and overheard conversations could only guarantee so much.

Until the tension between them was given a name, was spoken aloud, there would always be the plaguing sickness of doubt that would stop either from pressing forward.

"So Jack was talking to me today about the whole affair with the Tok'ra and the Zatarc," she nodded (Mitchell wasn't the only one who could read).

"And about what Jack said when he had to tell the absolute truth," (also helped that she and Sam had had a late night conversation concerning that confessional.) She almost smiled at the path he'd chosen to take. Of course brilliant Daniel would pick the traditional method of going roundabout. He would talk about it without talking about _it_.

"Sam mentioned something once."

"Yeah, I assumed so."

He clenched and unclenched his fists multiple times, all his methodical preparation for this flying out the window. "Was there any reason you brought it up Daniel?"

"Yes. You know that the US military doesn't allow for relationships between an officer and their subordinate." Subordinate? He was going to play the 'you're my assistant' card?

"Jack actually beamed over to tell me that was a load of crap."

"What?"

"The military still has their regs, but he said that wasn't why he's gone along with it." He smiled comfortably at the memories, something he was much better at discussing than, well..._stuff_.

"Jack's never been one for following the rules, and I've always held to the notion that being banned from liking Sam was part of the reason he found her attractive in the first place.

"Anyway, a few missions before the Zatarcs, Sam was trapped on a Goa'uld vessel, and Jack stayed behind to get her out. That decision almost got the both of them killed."

He'd slipped into storytelling mode, the tone he used in briefings that held undulating excitement for dead civilizations, the tone that still intrigued her. No, it was a deeper voice than that. There was the passion that only came from stories he'd lived himself, from the events that changed his world.

"We hold to the practice of 'never leave a man behind,' but sometimes, no matter how much we don't want it to, the mission has to come first. According to the military debriefing Jack should've realized that when his armband failed, so did mine, and he should've come after me to help with the naquadah." The was a growing twinge of anger now, directed towards the fool bureaucrats who deemed an ore more valuable than his much beloved sister.

He was circling in on himself, rambling as he debated whether this was actually the way he wanted to do this, but Vala refused to give him enough time to doubt. "What does that have to do with why Jack did it?" She stepped forward, cocking her head to the side, concerned for his mental well being. (And that was all, she wasn't thinking about how sad he looked for the pain of his friends, or how the light made his eyes shine when he summoned the will to look at her.)

"Jack never told me this before, at least not in words anyway. He thought that someday the stargate was going to get one of us killed. After all, it's gotten all of us almost there more than a few times.

"You've probably been told this, but Jack lost his son right before he joined the stargate program, and lost some good friends in the early days.

"He knew other friends would fall, and he would fight that fact tooth and nail, but he was prepared for that. He said he just didn't have it in him to lose someone he cared about more than his own life all over again."

Those azure eyes finally held hers, and he couldn't stop himself from stepping to meet her in the middle of the room. He brushed a lock of her intractable black hair out of her eyes as she understood him.

Just a ghost of his fingertips traced across her face. It was his favorite motion, and hers too. The weight of every word that roamed through his brain contained in one smooth touch. She never quite understood how he could convey more passion through restraint than any release Questesh had ever seen.

"He will trade his life to make peace Vala. He'll fight to whatever end and give all of himself to make it. All with the hope that someday the world won't be in peril and he'll get to retire back to Colorado Springs. No one will call him general, and he'll finally take that ring out of it's hiding place in the bottom drawer of his desk. But until then just knowing that he's making that day come is all he can give right now."

He rested his hands on her shoulders to make sure she understood, and desperately tried to ignore the fact that she jumped at his touch. He opened his mouth and tried to speak, but words failed him. He was besotted with her, they both knew that, but for all this fire he didn't love her yet, he couldn't.

They were a match, she stirred him up as he settled her down, but it wasn't enough. They'd seen too much, lost too much to fall in love like the young could. Logic and duty now made themselves heard in the pantheon of passions that roamed about their heads.

She rested her palms on his chest, feeling his heartbeat weave through hers and summed the will to speak for them both. "She would kill you if it happened. Use you to turn me to Origin."

He played with that strand of loose hair, weaving it around his fingers. "They'd use you to get at what's inside my head. To find whatever Ancient battle plan is locked in there."

They sat for a moment, knowing any other path they wanted would ruin what they were meant to do. But they couldn't break quite yet, tempted for just a breath in time to do the selfish thing, to simply be happy.

Life wouldn't stay that way, and they knew it. There would be bliss for a night, and then the next Prior would come. They'd hunt for the weapon, and be used as a weapon far more powerful against the other.

Quetesh said once that she chose Vala because only that which was strongest grew among the dogs of war, and Vala was proof of that. At the end of it all what she buried would be the strongest love she would ever know, but resting in his arms at the end of this journey seemed painfully far away.

She felt him shift. If they stayed suspended, ready to fall into each other's arms any longer they would never let go, and that couldn't happen. They weren't ready to be in love yet. The fire and passion that would go to the other was needed for the galaxy, and couldn't be split. He brushed his fingers past her cheek again, soaking the feel of her skin on his before he slid out the door to bury himself in his work.

She leaned her forehead against the cold metal of the door, forcing her temperature down, and ran her fingertips across her cheekbone. If they were the sacrifice peace demanded, so be it.

She tugged down the sleeves of the sweatshirt and held them to her lips, drinking in the smell of Daniel's sweatshirt. It would come. Sure, there was galaxy to save and evil ascended being to stop, but the night when she would have more than his hoodie to keep her warm would come.

And it was worth the wait.


	7. Home Alternate Ending P1

Yes, and exceptionally peculiar arrangement, I know. Especially that the alternate (aka: fluffy) ending will be longer than the realistic one. I haven't the skill that others do for venturing into the land of "this is what I'd like to happen but never will" that others seem to posses, but I tried it. So per the request of several individuals who just wanted to see if I could do it (cough cough not at all because they wanted fluffiness), here's part one of the happy ending.

* * *

Of course he couldn't see fit to drop by her quarters on a night when she wasn't in fluffy bunny pajama bottoms and an oversized jacket. That would mean karma had finally forgiven her and that wasn't likely to happen anytime soon. Even worse, the jacket was his University of Chicago sweatshirt. Yeah, that would be fun to explain.

She paced in front of the door as it shook again from his pounding. "Vala, open up, I have to talk to you!" She drummed her fingers on the end of her bed before bolding stepping towards the door. She made it halfway there before turning back and plopping back down on her comforter.

She was tied up in knots, and avoiding him for most of the afternoon hadn't done much to improve her situation. He was just a boy like any other. A boy, a boy, a boy, a boy! Ugh, she sounded like a lovestruck teenager. Normally she would throw open the door and tease him about being a genius who couldn't work a stargate, but today she couldn't, she knew too much.

Daniel and the offworld teams had successfully made contact with the SGC at the four hour mark, but SG-1 still went through the gate to haul Daniel back home. On the last loner mission he was just over 24 hours late, and a few missions before that he went three whole days without contact. Cam referred to their retrieval mission as 'grounding' him, so that next time he would remember to be a good boy and check in.

She'd believed Cam's intent was solely to force Daniel out of future intellectual reveries so Cam would be able to distinguish when Daniel was or wasn't about to get killed, and get Colonel Mitchell killed in retribution. Then Jack sauntered into conference room, when he knew Daniel was coming home, and with beer in tow, that threw the punishment theory right out the window.

Jack had been brought in to get though to Daniel when no one else could, and Vala wasn't sure if that would swing in her favor or not. There was hope, and then Jack gave her the beer.

Daniel had told her that he'd only seen Jack drink a few times while on base, and each and every time preceded or followed profound amounts of emotional trauma. (Usually involving women, because getting shot at just didn't qualify as trauma anymore.)

Jack giving her the beer was a sign this conversation wasn't meant to be good. She would avoid him, that was the only solution. Under no circumstances would she see Daniel Jackson until she knew exactly what had been planned for his imminent return that Jack felt she needed to be buzzed to deal with.

That resolution fell flat on it's face the moment Daniel stepped through the gate. She hadn't meant to spy on him, she really hadn't, she just happened to be around every time SG-1 had their precursors to the Jack conversation.

After restlessly puttering around the base she eventually settled in to her quarters to wait out her overly romantic spell in a place where no one could see it. She waited until the sirens sounded in the hall announcing offworld activation and then walked over to the infirmary to meet up with him.

To be fair it wasn't so much a walk as a sprint interspersed with sauntering sections whenever she happened past observers.

Any time she caught herself meandering just a little too quickly she forced herself to stop and remind herself it had only been five hours. When she finally made it to the infirmary hallway saunter didn't do the lackadaisical pace justice.

She kneaded her hands and forced the butterflies to shut up and leave her be. The last few steps to the infirmary door were painfully slow, and she kept reciting to herself the bountiful reasons to turn back. She'd convince herself of the absolute stupidity in immediately dropping by to check on him, and how pathetically over-attached it would make her seem, and would turn around.

Then she'd feel his smile. It rippled through her and all reason went out the window. She stepped into the infirmary and stopped again at the sound of Sam's restraint. "It's not right Daniel, and you know it.

"Sam, I don't have a clue what you're talking about."

The frustration crept out the more he faked dumb. "Daniel, remember how we always tell one another the truth?"

"Always Sam? Tell me, how's Jack doing?"

"Cheap shot, and he's here by the way, waiting to have this conversation with you if you don't listen to me."

"Sam..."

"Daniel, you can't keep vanishing for days at a time. Given your track record for dying it's not exactly fair to those left behind on your little excursions." (Vala reminded herself to have to cooks make Sam something pretty for being on her side in this matter, not that she would admit to having a side.)

"Sam I've been vanishing for years and we've never had this conversation before. Are you telling me you didn't care every other time I died?"

"That's not what I'm saying and you know it. Things are different now."

"Sam, I have no idea what you're talking about, and unfortunately it seems that Dr. Lam would like to interrupt you for a few blood tests."

Sam and Carolyn shared a glare before she jammed the needle rather violently into his arm and Daniel jumped. He turned to complain, but stopped when he caught the look in Carolyn's eye and decided silence was the most favorable option.

After sneaking out of the infirmary she was bound and determined that she was going to hold out for him to visit her, and not the other way around. So she resorted to her old standby for emotional pacification, chocolate. (Namely the triple layer cake the cooks had baked her when they heard Daniel was missing, again.) Unfortunately she stumbled across stage two of the interrogation being done by Cam in the hallway outside the mess.

"Stop talking now Mitchell."

"Come on Jackson, you know what goes on around here when you go AWOL. I mean, how could you not, you pace more than she does."

She choked on her fourth piece of cake for the day and shrunk behind the corner where they couldn't see her. Teal'c had followed her out of the commissary, stopping to ask, "ValaMalDoran, are you well?" She gestured at him to be quiet and pointed around the corner all the while trying not to spill her cake and give away their position.

Teal'c nodded in understanding as the conversation continued with Daniel's stress level shooting up several points. "Mitchell, remember how I told you to stop talking!"

"I don't know if you've noticed this Jackson, but this base is populated by brilliant scientists and the best the US military has to offer. I can guarantee you they've noticed that you're not particularly friendly when she's late comin' back from offworld."

They were only a few paces away from her corner, and she had a feeling that if she got caught evesdropping on this particular conversation he'd be too embarrassed to speak to her for the next month. She gave Teal'c the doe eyes and mouthed "please." To sweeten the deal she extended her hands forth with the plate of chocolate cake, and after giving her as much a smile as she ever got from the Jaffa he took a finger full of icing and stepped around the corner.

"ColonelMitchell, GeneralLandry is looking for you." Cam hesitated for a moment, torn between watching Teal'c take care of Daniel's denial or the call of duty, but the look on Teal'c's face compelled him to dash back down the hallway towards the command center.

"Not you too Teal'c."

"I have nothing more to say on the matter DanielJackson. It has been many years since I joined your people DanielJackson, but despite the time I have spent studying your culture, I still do not entirely understand the limitations on your relations."

"There are rules Teal'c, you know that."

"I am aware of the rules for your military DanielJackson. But such rules do not apply to your behavior."

She heard Daniel sigh and start past Teal'c toward her corner. "You are a brother DanielJackson, and I wish to see no harm come to you, from any source."

"I'll be fine Teal'c."

"She is my friend also DanielJackson, and I will see that no harm is done to her, even if you insist upon harming yourself."

Daniel stopped, and she could hear his slowly turn and stutter, "Wh-what?"

"You have feelings for ValaMalDoran."

"I-I don't know what..."

"I have seen many a young Jaffa fall in love DanielJackson, and their behavior seems to be a trait shared by the Tau'ri. I have observed you when merely attracted to an individual DanielJackson, and you behavior does not suit that description."

"What behavior!"

An airman passing Vala turned the corner, and stopped for a moment as he observed the scene in front of him. Judging from the saucer size his eyes swelled to and his terrified grimace as he turned tail and almost sprinted past Vala, to the outside observer it would appear that Teal'c and Daniel were finally ready to come to blows.

"You are behaving in a manner which I am unaccustomed to seeing DanielJackson."

"I'm behaving the same way I always have."

"You are currently angry at me while in a main hallway of the SGC. Does that not suggest something abnormal DanielJackson? I believe your desire to avoid discussing your feelings for ValaMalDoran cause you to react this way."

Daniel sputtered and blew past Teal'c and froze as he turned to face Vala on the other side of the corner, listening to their conversation.

The color drained out of his face as he realized what he'd been caught denying. Rather than waiting to deal with his rejection by refusal, or for the anger to blossom when he realized she'd been spying, she gave him the shiniest version of her guilty smile she could muster, handed him her half-eaten plate of chocolate cake, and sprinted down the hall.

* * *

It was all Jack's fault.

He'd sworn to Carolyn on everything holy, (namely cake, fishing, and ever being allowed to fly an F-302 again) that Daniel had left the base. That was how he tricked Carolyn into opening her office door and letting him in to see Vala.

He'd found her sitting on the ground behind Carolyn's desk playing solitaire with a deck of cards that Jack knew. Vala knew that her friendship with Carolyn Lam was though to be quite impossible, so no one would look for her seeking solitude with the not over-compassionate Dr. Lam. Little did most of the SGC know that Carolyn, Carter, and Vala had formed their own little triumvirate that knew _everything_ and managed to tip the scales in favor of every woman on base.

Jack was never a fan of rational arguments, so rather than attempt to make one he simply picked up the cards and left Teal'c to pick her up. She didn't even bother wriggling in Teal'c's grasp, but chose to sigh and grumble at Jack.

"This isn't fair you know. I thought kidnapping women for your own dastardly purposes, as much as I would enjoy those purposes, was against your Tau'ri code of conduct."

"He's off base Vala."

"Oh, well then, there's no point in carrying me around, I've got no reason to misbehave." Teal'c still didn't put her down. That was her first sign that something was afoot.

Her concerns grew when the fellow didn't chit-chat on the way. It wasn't just their normal taciturn nature when Sam forced them into meddling in someone's personal life (Which they rarely wanted to do) It was fully fledged military mode. Jack even took point with Teal'c assuming the six. It was as if she was some piece of precious cargo they were charged with getting safely back to her quarters.

Teal'c set her gently down outside her door as Jack started talking. "Carter said you should put on, the…black, something or other." He did his little finger roll, expecting his explanation to coalesce into a perfect plan in her head.

"I believe ColonelCarter specified that you are to wear the green wrap dress that you purchased while shopping two weeks ago. We were also instructed to inform you that you are to wear you hair down and…"

Jack snapped his fingers and shouted, "The strappy black sandals! Carter wants you to wear the strappy black sandals." He smacked Teal'c in the arm as he said, "See, told ya I'd remember." Teal'c tipped his head in agreement and gave a small smile at Jack's enthusiasm.

"Alright. You get dressed, and then Teal'c will make sure you get to the elevator."

Her amusement at their odd behavior suddenly vanished. She assumed a stance more accustomed to Teal'c (given the fact Jack found his requests harder to deny than anyone, she assumed it was her safest response.)

"General, I respectfully decline your generous offer to leave the base. I have a lot of…paperwork, very important paperwork, that I need to do."

Jack assumed a matching stance in mocking return and said, "Refusal denied Miss Mal Doran. You will throw on your civie gear and head off base with us." He patted Vala on the shoulder and confided, "Don't worry, we're not going to see Daniel."

Jack headed down the corridor with a spring in his step, obviously off to don his 'civies' before they went out. This wasn't just something with SG-1, she got to wear jeans for that sort of thing. Jack had a plan, and she wasn't sure if it was good sign or a bad one that Sam and Teal'c were in on it. "Jack, where are we going?"

He simply shouted over his shoulder with a tone of suppressed mirth, "Out to dinner with one Lieutenant Colonel Gregory Black."

She looked at Teal'c as she processed the name, then it hit her. She turned to double-check with Teal'c to be sure Jack was just as crazy as he sounded. "He's Area 51's version of Daniel isn't he? Every time the Marines get jumpy about having civilians around they bring up Black's name as Daniel's replacement for SG-1. He was the one Mitchell was supposed to pick rather than bring you all back together."

Teal'c cocked an eyebrow in response to her knowledge on the matter. "Earlier in the week He pointed out something that Daniel mistranslated. Daniel got…huffy, that he'd missed it. He stayed up for a whole day longer than he should have because he wanted to finish some translation that Black thought he couldn't do. I've never seen Daniel quite so competitive before. Why would Jack…" Then it dawned on her as a grin that matched Jack's malevolent smile spread across Teal'c's face.

She turned to Jack's retreating frame and hollered down the corridor, "You're an evil, evil, man Jack O'Neill!"

Jack turned long enough to give a Cheshire grin while he continued his backwards trot, then started back down the hall in a more General appropriate manner.

She looked to Teal'c, almost disbelieving that they would set her up on a date with the man who the US military wanted to be Daniel Jackson. All she could do was mutter, "You're evil."

"Indeed."

* * *

Reviews are always welcome. Even if it's to tell me I should've ignored everyone who wanted to find out how I would end it happy. 


	8. Home Alternate Ending P2

Yes, the writing took me forever and a day, and then my internet wouldn't connect. (On the plus side I flirted with the IT boy, which was fun.) I also know that I said it would be a one part alternate ending an now it's swelled to three, but that I can't help, blame the bunnies.

* * *

Daniel was pissed. No, that didn't really do it justice. For about ten seconds Jack stared at the shell-shocked Daniel standing in the bar doorway and wondered if they had crossed a line. 

SG-1 had hauled Jack out from the green of the ninth hole Washington to do what they thought no one else could. It was up to Jack to bully Daniel out of his new favorite dig site, interrogate him about Vala, and worst of all, fraternize with the Hyde to Daniel's Jekyll.

Black was a bastard, which was something Daniel seemed to miss for those first few years. Jack knew it after the memorial they gave the first time Daniel "died" (back when they still pretended Daniel was held to the laws of nature like other regular human beings.) Black had shown up at the SGC with recommendations from Area 51, the Pentagon, and every bigwig in the Department of Defense. All designed to paint him as the best candidate to take Daniel Jackson's position as the head of the archaeology department and his place on SG-1.

Hammond threw Black out the mountain's front door without batting an eye. And given George's usual civility and restraint in diplomatic situations, Jack was quite impressed with the store of language he'd picked up from the marines. No one was going to insult the memory of his favorite pseudo-son by suggesting replacements.

Hammond had kept the Black affair quiet, only sharing it with Jack to ensure the newly risen Daniel's protection. The General assumed (and assumed correctly) that if Daniel ever found out that Black had been gunning for his job Daniel would've handed in the resignation forms himself. This was back when sweet young Daniel actually held to the belief that Black was actually smarter than he was, and could do more for the SGC than Daniel ever could.

Jack could understand why folks liked Black, he was a smart fella, (mind you, one who couldn't hold a candle to Danny,) and he did his job well. The marines liked him because he was a perfect shot who never whined. Teal'c took a shine to him when Black stopped by for kelnorim sessions whenever he was in Colorado. Jack had also been informed by many of the nurses and by a rather hesitant and blushing Colonel Carter that Black wasn't an entirely unattractive male specimen. (She muttered something about Han Solo, but Jack had decided to not pay too much attention.)

Somehow cough cough Doc Frasier found out that Black was just waiting for Daniel to mess up or die so he could assume his rightful place on SG-1. (And until his dying day Jack would maintain that the morphine and a gunshot wound, not Black hitting on Carter, made him do it.)

After that, SGC relations with Lt. Black became a little less…friendly.

In fact, cruel and unusual punishment probably didn't do it justice. The idea that he could go after Daniel Jackson, the beloved little brother to the SGC, made him one of the most hated men in the galaxy, just behind Kinsey and Apophis on the base's "10 Most Wanted List."

Every time Black made his way to the base after that he was immediately escorted out by Ferretti and the very trigger happy marines of SG-2. They gave their apologies and offered the excuse the Tok'ra were on their way in, and they didn't like it when they ran into folks they didn't know. Eventually Ferretti just got a call from the front entrance that Black was on his way down and headed him off at the pass with a P-90 in hand. (Hammond never looked into Black's formal complaints, and Jack had Walter shop for one way flights to Russia.)

Now Daniel stood in the bar doorway, just staring at their table as he festered with rage. Daniel wasn't supposed to know they were here, that wasn't the plan. He would find out tomorrow from some well meaning scientist who still lived under the delusion that Daniel despised Vala and Daniel would betray himself. They probably wouldn't fall into one another's arms and live happily ever after, but he'd react just enough for Vala to know where they stood without Daniel actually having to say where they stood. His was not supposed to catch his best friends at a table with the man they'd risked court martial to keep away from Daniel.

Jack was at the head of the table, with Teal'c to his right, Mitchell across, and Carter tucked safely in between. However, they weren't what Daniel was staring at. Vala was to Jack's left, and next to her was Black, with his chair pulled too close and his hand suspiciously close to touching her back.

Daniel straightened his shoulders and purposefully strode over to the table, smiling at the group. Black didn't even have the decency to flinch while the rest of SG-1 braced for impact. "Hey guys!" Daniel had been spending too much time around Vala, he actually looked chipper about his team being out to dinner with the man who wanted to replace him. "I guess this restaurant is in a dead zone or something, because Landry can't get a hold of any of you. Apparently SG-3 came in with news about the Priors and he wants us in to check it out."

Black stood to square off against Daniel, expecting a squabble over the woman sitting between them. Daniel's smile stayed on, perfectly natural, as he stuck out his hand. "Greg, it's been a long time."

"That it has Daniel. I hope my notes on the translation from last week proved useful." Vala grimaced. Those would be the translations he'd corrected Daniel on that had thrown him into a fit of self doubt for several hours.

Black told the team to head back to the base while he picked up the check, obviously thinking it would impress Vala. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and said he'd meet with her at the SGC later when they were done with their meeting. Daniel's smile didn't flinch.

Yeah, they were in trouble.

She'd taken the longest shower ever and used the harshest soap she could find in the SGC storeroom to get his smell off her. She was almost tempted to simply burn her new dress since she found the smell so repugnant. It was just cologne, she knew that, but she couldn't stand it. When she dried off she wrapped herself in Daniel's sweatshirt, wanting the aroma of dirt, sweat, and coffee to never leave her again.

She'd gotten used to honesty, to the truth behind every smile, every gesture of Daniel Jackson. The fool man had raised the bar, and no man like Greg Black could ever meet it. The boys she had known before tried to impress her with flattery and money, but that didn't mean quite as much when compared to the man you wanted, one who would ring onto an Ori ship to save you.

This was the first time she could ever remember not wanting to play. Jack didn't know that Daniel had confessed (not on purpose, but it was something). She thought it was brilliant plan until she saw Black. He was suave and handsome, but there was something festering underneath, something foul. He had rotted away his soul, and she felt infected when he touched her.

She wanted to erase the night, wipe away her guilt and shame over hurting a man such as Daniel. His spirit was fired with truth and purity, and she swore to never hurt him again. She wanted to apologize, to go to him and make it right, but she wasn't brave enough for that.

Then he started pounding on her door.

Now she stood facing the metal plank that blocked her from him and couldn't face him, couldn't face his disappointment. "Go away Daniel!"

"Vala, open the door!"

"….No."

"No?" He sputtered, the disbelief seeping through. "Vala, you have to."

"No Daniel, actually I don't have to do anything!"

"Alright then, I just thought you'd like to know that Greg has been called back to Area 51. His flight won't be ready for over an hour and he asked me to drop by and tell you that he and the rest of SG-1 are having dinner in the commissary."

She opened the door a crack, sure that something had infested Daniel's brain. He was being submissive. Daniel Jackson was a warrior for his people, their speaker, and in no legend she'd been told or mission report she'd stolen had he been referred to as _meek_.

"Black asked you to come and get me?"

"Of course he did, why wouldn't he?" She furrowed her brow, utterly baffled. Not only did Black have the audacity to send Daniel, Daniel went like a good little boy. This wasn't happening. Daniel did not do what he was told. If possible he got even more defiant when someone from the military tried to tell him what to do.

"I actually thought it was rather respectful of him. He thought that since I'm the closest thing you have to a brother it appropriate to ask my permission before actually pursuing a relationship with you."

Her eyes narrowed in rage. She knew full well that Black's competitive streak against Daniel had reached a new and disgusting height. He had heard the rumors floating around the SGC about the budding romance between her and Daniel, and decided to exploit it. He was far too aggressive at dinner, just assuming from the stories about her unscrupulous character that she'd be an easy mark. The predatory gleam in Black's eyes told that he was looking to get laid and tell Daniel about it in the morning.

Apparently the boys hadn't narrated to Daniel how Black had behaved at the restaurant, if they had he would be more willing to fight, just like they had. (Teal'c had to forcibly restrain Jack and Mitchell several times, and once when Black slapped her on the butt while on the way to the bathroom it took both of them to pin Teal'c to his chair and not rip Black's head from his body.)

As she was freaking out Daniel looked content with himself. They said confession was good for the soul, and apparently it did Daniel Jackson wonders. His hair was slightly tousled from the shower and he'd left his glasses somewhere. He looked every inch the dashing rogue as he leaned against her doorframe. He still had that healthy glow from his midnight game of stress relieving basketball with the boys, and as always leaving behind the jacket in favor of his t-shirt did wonders for his frame. He'd spoken the truth in the hallway today, and he had nothing left to prove. Now it was her turn.

She slammed the door shut, closing off the few inches of Daniel that she'd been staring at. He started banging again and wanted to know what was going on now. It took her a whole of thirty seconds to whip the door wide open, and it was Daniel's turn to be confused.

She spread her hands to both sides of the frame and struck a pose. She was in her blue BDU pants, the ones that hugged just a pinch too tight, and her black tank top. She had pulled her wavy hair out of her ponytail and let it gracefully frame her face.

Daniel's jaw dropped and rather than ask a pertinent question he muttered, "How did you do that so fast?"

She smirked and sauntered down the hall towards the commissary. Daniel watched Vala walk away for a few moments until she turned back to smile at him. "Are you coming darling?"

"Actually, I had some work to do, so I won't be…"

She put her finger over his lips and shushed him. "But darling, you need to eat something. You can't live on coffee alone." Vala stammered as Daniel gently kissed the fingertip that stopped his speech. She caught herself staring at Daniel's lips as she ran he fingertip along his succulent bottom lip. "C-Carolyn says you need to take better care of yourself."

She wrapped her fingers around the scruff of his shirt front and pulled him close enough to feel the heat seeping from his chest, and to make him blush. "Come on Daniel." She hovered close to his lips, just breathing him in. She bounded back, dragging him with her as she teased, "And I promise, dinner and a show."

* * *

Tell me how weak it is, or how you think the third part will go, or that I need to stop rambling and start writing, whatever you choose. 


	9. Home Alternate Ending P3

**DONE!** Yay for you for making it all the way through. It's all done now, despite numerous sabbaticals throughout the writing process. I suppose that's what I get for tempting the bunnies and telling them what I want to write rather than what they want me to. If things are missing "d's" I'm sorry, my key keeps sticking. Thanks for staying with me, you've been a beautiful audience and review to tell me if you love it or you hate it, either way. Thanks!

* * *

There was a plan, there was a plan, she wasn't just being mean, there was a plan. And maybe if he just kept saying that it would true. And maybe the Ori would vanish, no doctor would ever try to wean him off caffeine again, and he'd spend the rest of his life in a Lantean library.

However, all he got to do now was debate physics. Specifically, if it was actually possible for Vala's top to burst into flames if Black spent any more time staring at it.

Daniel had run out of languages to count to ten in about five minutes ago, and was simply shooting murderous looks at Sam every time Vala reclaimed Black's attention from gloating. Apparently she grasped the plan while the men were left to fend for themselves. Every time Black did something to earn himself some time in the brig and the first place in line at the next Tok'ra host auction Sam would place a rather firm kick in their shins and glare them back into their polite hats.

Daniel's reverie ended with a rather overzealous kick from a combat boot that didn't belong to Sam. He followed the eyes (and stifled laughter) of everyone else at the table and joined in the staring at Black. It took a moment before the reality processed. Black was drooling. Vala literally had a member of the US military drooling over her. And she was enjoying it. This man deserved to be shot.

Landry's voice crackled over the radio and interrupted the luncheon with joyous news. "As much as I hate to break up this little get together, the Lieutenant's chopper is here, and SG-1 is due for a briefing." Bless that man and his penchant for directness. Mitchell and Jack sprang from the table, offering to escort Black to the helipad, and even Teal'c barely restrained his enthusiasm at the prospect of having this man off base.

Black's hand lingered on Vala's cheek for a moment as she smiled giddily back. He promised to call her and only grinned at Daniel for a heartbeat before going in to kiss her goodbye and strut out the commissary door. Jack stopped Mitchell for just long enough to pull the gun that the Colonel was so tenderly caressing out of the holster before sending him off as an escort.

"Well, I need a beer and a shower, and the base will have to be sanitized. But other than that I think today went rather well." Daniel didn't bother responding, Teal'c's quirked eyebrow was doing enough talking for the both of them.

"Don't worry Jack, your day is about to get a whole lot better." Vala tossed her black jacket into Jack's lap as she headed to Daniel's side of the table. She kicked her leg over Daniel's lap and bumped the table back to give herself sitting room. She tugged at the tank top to pull it even lower, and mussed her hair while Daniel blushed and held his hands as if at gunpoint, struggling not to stare.

"I thought _my_ day was going to get better Vala?" She just grinned and started tugging Daniel's t-shirt out of its tidily arranged format and wrapped her fingers in his hair as she leaned in for a kiss.

"Vala, stop! What are you doing?"

She cocked her head in confusion for a moment before snapping her fingers in realization. "Of course darling, I completely forgot, and that's going to be half the fun." She grinned maliciously before saying, "Jack, left-hand pocket please, leave them on the table." Jack stuck his hand into Vala's jacket pocket and wriggled around for a moment before muttering, "Vala, there's nothing in there."

"No Jack, your pocket." Jack pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and dropped them on the table while barely suppressing a smile at his favorite resident pick-pocket. She wrapped one of Daniel's hands around the small of her back and placed the other a little too far up her thigh for his comfort (which she promptly moved back when he tried to withdraw.) She laced her fingers through his hair and went in for another kiss before Daniel even had the foresight to stop her.

It was only several seconds later when he heard Sam's giggle that Daniel had the presence of mind to pull out, and saw Greg Black frozen in the doorway of the commissary.

Jack, with barely contained mirth was the one to speak. "Hiya Greg. I thought you were heading back to Area 51."

"I, I…forgot my keys." Stunned didn't do it justice. Even Teal'c was smirking as Jack guarded his mouth with a coffee much to hide face choked with laughter. Vala went back to kissing Daniel, and only through considerable effort did he hear the astonished conversation between Black and SG-1.

"Aren't they sweet Greg?"

"They're…great Sam, just great. When exactly did they get together?" Black was hanging on to his sanity by a mere thread, shock overcoming whatever jealousy or rage he might feel in a moment.

Mitchell smacked Black on the back in a brotherly fashion and laughed, "They've been together for months Greg. There was even a bet goin' 'round the SGC about where the Ori got the other half of Adria's genetics."

Black's eyes groaned from the stress at widening that far (due to the purr from Vala at Daniel's kiss or the suggestion of paternity, Daniel wasn't sure.) Sam just smiled while Cam faked a coughing fit and she continued on his behalf. "You've read the mission reports Greg, once the SG teams heard her preach the rumors started to fly."

"But, but she's not…right?"

This time Vala had to pipe up, even Sam couldn't stop herself from smiling. "I certainly hope not Colonel. I would be immensely disturbed if our firstborn child had a crush on her father." She turned back to Daniel and started to trace the line of his bottom lip with her thumb as she continued. "Besides, I was hoping for a boy."

Sam snorted. The classiest woman Daniel had ever known snorted while was trying not to laugh. Mitchell turned his back to Greg, but that didn't change the fact his shoulders were shaking so hard from scarcely contained laughter Daniel was surprised Black didn't notice immediately.

Black stumbled towards the table muttering "pregnant." Vala just smiled, apparently thrilled with the thought that while her plan was to make Black wish he'd never been born, she got to ignite a whole new fanfare of rumors.

Black gingerly picked up his keys and couldn't rip his eyes away from the sight of Vala sitting very comfortably on Daniel Jackson's lap. He would brush her bangs out of her eyes, and she'd tip her head so the bangs would spill into her sightline again, and Daniel's hand would brush along her forehead once more.

"She was flirting with me!" Black didn't know where that came from. He was infuriated. This alien thing had been all over him, flirting with him in front of Jackson, and now she was plastered to Jackson's shirt and ignoring his presence!

"Flirt? Daniel, what does that mean?"

"Vala, remember how last night I told you that some men might interpret your behavior as something more?"

"But darling, that's how my people are polite." The angst in her voice was flawless. The innocent lamb wounded by such an accusation. She turned to Black with eyes dripping pity and apologized, all while staying firmly planted in Daniel's lap. "I'm so sorry if I confused you Colonel. That's simply how my people behave around friends. I didn't ever mean to 'flirt' with you."

Somehow she said the words and painted the perfect picture of purity, but there was still the smallest bite of sarcasm to it. A little river of condescension slipping through the words, and Black knew in an instant he'd been hosed.

"Your people consider suggestive behavior as friendly? I suppose I'd have to as well if my god, the person I'd been host to, was the deity of sex and sluts. Would that make you a whore as well?"

Vala didn't have time to recoil at the shot. She didn't have time to blink. In a heartbeat Daniel seized her by the hips and gently raised her from his lap to the tabletop and laid Black out in one punch.

The Colonel didn't get the chance to rise. Vala froze for a moment at the sight of Black sprawled at Daniel's feet, but in that instant Teal'c and Mitchell seized the offender and hauled him towards the door while Jack radioed for the chopper to be ready to leave the moment they reached topside, and gave Sam orders to forge the papers making it legal to shoot Black the next moment he stepped on base.

Daniel watched them exit in a rage, and was completely unaware of Vala appearing by his side. He started when she raised his right hand and stared at his knuckles. She didn't know what she was expecting to see there. It felt as if they should be bleeding, refusing to stay intact now that their purpose had been violated.

He had used his hands for violence. These hands that had delivered children, saved his civilization, bound life back within bleeding bodies, and traded his life for that of a world not his own. Blessed hands that had just been moved to violence for her.

She met his eyes. Those azure eyes that drank her soul in a little deeper each time, and this time she didn't fight.

She barely sounded the words, just enough of her strength left to form them, which was all the force she needed. "Thank you." He just smiled and gestured towards the door, thinking that General Landry would want an explanation.

He made it a step before her fingertips ghosted across his arm and stopped him cold. She stepped in close, and went onto her toes to breathe him in.

She touched her lips to his, the first chaste kiss she'd given in her life, the purity of the maiden he'd fought for today, honor she didn't think still dwelt in the host of Qetesh. And something only his lips would know.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and she reached up to take the hand as they walked down the hall. She'd never let a man fight for her before. She was innocent to the ways of dependency; even Tomin had needed her more than she'd needed him. But this, she'd never stood here before.

No joining of bodies here, restraint had been in both their kisses while surrounded by onlookers. But that's what made it right. She'd never joined with another soul before, never had one who clasped her hand so tight. No words would do the feeling justice, no sweet nothings whispered by a lover who would never be granted the sight of her soul.

He'd made her clean again, found that small piece that horror couldn't touch, that he would never rip from her like others had. He'd given her back her life.

She rotated his hand to gaze at those knuckles again, and gently pressed her kiss to the hand of saint that thought her worthy of redemption. He squeezed her tighter to his side, and they kept walking, keeping the other's stride.


End file.
